Thursday, July 26, 2007

The Auqaf Department has taken over the shrine of Chiragh Ali Shah after a succession dispute within the family of Auqaf minister Sahabzada Saeedul Hassan, Daily Times has learnt.

Sources told Daily Times on Sunday that the minister’s cousins had alleged official manoeuvring on the minister’s part, while the minister, who is an equal claimant to succession of the shrine, called his cousins’ allegation baseless.

The shrine of Chiragh Shah, the Auqaf minister’s grandfather, was formally taken over by the department last week. The minister and his cousin Syed Hassan Hayat are claiming succession.

“Our family has been quarrelling for some time now and this shrine has become the bone of contention,” said Hayat Shah and his younger brother Syed Zahid Hussain Shah.They alleged that Saeedul Hassan had used the Auqaf Department for personal issues and had also violated the shrine’s sanctity.

Zahid Shah claimed that his brother Hayat Shah was the true successor to their grandfather’s legacy.Saeedul Hassan denied the allegations, saying the Auqaf Department had received many complaints from the people against Hayat and Zahid Shah. He said that was why the department decided to step in and control the situation. He said that as a minister it was his responsibility to improve the quality of the shrine and help followers by setting up a darul aloom in the structure.

He also alleged that his cousins went against family tradition and sold taweez (talismans) and other relics to make money. “Their activities are defaming my family and causing problems for us,” he said, adding that he would take a stance against them.

He said Sufism did not preach people to be materialistic and that was why it was wrong for his cousins to do such stuff.

Anwar Ali Shah, the minister’s younger brother, alleged that the cousins had exploited poor women and made money off of them. He said the Auqaf Department would soon ask the brothers to leave the shrine. Tassawar Ejaz Malik, Auqaf Department zonal administrative, said the shrine had been given to the department after a lot of people had complained against the minister’s cousins.

Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, Auqaf Department state officer, said that under the Waqf Property Ordinance 1979 and revised rules framed by the department under the ordinance in 2002, the department could take over any shrine or property on the grounds complaints received by locals or if the shrine income was more than its expenditures.

“In the Chiragh Shah shrine case, we received complaints from individuals and also conducted a survey through our administrator and revenue officer,” he said, adding, “The report showed that the income of the shrine was much more than its expenditures”.

Syed Chiragh Ali Shah, commonly known as Baba Jee Sarkar, was a saint and mystic poet who attracted people from far and wide. After his death people built a shrine on his grave. Chiragh Ali Shah was born at Anmbala city in 1877 and adhered to the Qadria Order.

In 1954 he shifted to Walton where he passed away on April 4, 1969. Chiragh Shah served his mentor for 30 years while his son Syed Irshad Hussain Shah, also known as Hafiz Sarkar, served his father for 36 years. Hafiz Sarkar is the Auqaf minister’s father.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

The Auqaf Department has taken over the shrine of Chiragh Ali Shah after a succession dispute within the family of Auqaf minister Sahabzada Saeedul Hassan, Daily Times has learnt.

Sources told Daily Times on Sunday that the minister’s cousins had alleged official manoeuvring on the minister’s part, while the minister, who is an equal claimant to succession of the shrine, called his cousins’ allegation baseless.

The shrine of Chiragh Shah, the Auqaf minister’s grandfather, was formally taken over by the department last week. The minister and his cousin Syed Hassan Hayat are claiming succession.

“Our family has been quarrelling for some time now and this shrine has become the bone of contention,” said Hayat Shah and his younger brother Syed Zahid Hussain Shah.They alleged that Saeedul Hassan had used the Auqaf Department for personal issues and had also violated the shrine’s sanctity.

Zahid Shah claimed that his brother Hayat Shah was the true successor to their grandfather’s legacy.Saeedul Hassan denied the allegations, saying the Auqaf Department had received many complaints from the people against Hayat and Zahid Shah. He said that was why the department decided to step in and control the situation. He said that as a minister it was his responsibility to improve the quality of the shrine and help followers by setting up a darul aloom in the structure.

He also alleged that his cousins went against family tradition and sold taweez (talismans) and other relics to make money. “Their activities are defaming my family and causing problems for us,” he said, adding that he would take a stance against them.

He said Sufism did not preach people to be materialistic and that was why it was wrong for his cousins to do such stuff.

Anwar Ali Shah, the minister’s younger brother, alleged that the cousins had exploited poor women and made money off of them. He said the Auqaf Department would soon ask the brothers to leave the shrine. Tassawar Ejaz Malik, Auqaf Department zonal administrative, said the shrine had been given to the department after a lot of people had complained against the minister’s cousins.

Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, Auqaf Department state officer, said that under the Waqf Property Ordinance 1979 and revised rules framed by the department under the ordinance in 2002, the department could take over any shrine or property on the grounds complaints received by locals or if the shrine income was more than its expenditures.

“In the Chiragh Shah shrine case, we received complaints from individuals and also conducted a survey through our administrator and revenue officer,” he said, adding, “The report showed that the income of the shrine was much more than its expenditures”.

Syed Chiragh Ali Shah, commonly known as Baba Jee Sarkar, was a saint and mystic poet who attracted people from far and wide. After his death people built a shrine on his grave. Chiragh Ali Shah was born at Anmbala city in 1877 and adhered to the Qadria Order.

In 1954 he shifted to Walton where he passed away on April 4, 1969. Chiragh Shah served his mentor for 30 years while his son Syed Irshad Hussain Shah, also known as Hafiz Sarkar, served his father for 36 years. Hafiz Sarkar is the Auqaf minister’s father.

On average about 500 devotees visit the shrine every day.

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